Georgsbrunnen

Georgsbrunnen stands at the southwest corner of Münsterplatz in Freiburg, surrounded by the city’s historic centre. A gilded replica of Saint George rises above the fountain, presenting Freiburg’s patron saint in the square.

The fountain reconstructs a medieval predecessor that reaches back to the fourteenth century. Freiburg once channelled fresh water through wooden Deichele pipes from the Dreisam Valley rather than relying on deep wells. That infrastructure made public fountains part of the urban water supply. The original was replaced in the early sixteenth century and remained in use until the mid-nineteenth century, when its deteriorating condition prompted complaints.

In 1935, architect Carl Anton Meckel reconstructed the fountain with durable limestone suited to modern air conditions. Historical pieces and lithographs from the city collection guided that work. Extensive bombing devastated much of Freiburg’s old town during the Second World War, yet the fountain survived largely unscathed. Wheelchair access adds a practical detail to this historic setting on Münsterplatz.